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How and When to Ask for a Promotion

November 18th, 2018

It can be tough working a job when you know you should be paid more. Dead-end jobs are stressful, but rather than getting frustrated and leaving the company for greener pastures, consider talking with your employer first. Know you’re due for a promotion but don’t know how or when it is appropriate to ask for one? These tips will help you get the timing right.

Know Your Value

Probably the most important aspect in asking for a promotion is having the evidence and research to back up your claim. Doing your homework is important. No one is going to be able to argue your case better than yourself, so make sure you are prepared to support your claim that a promotion is appropriate. What successes have you accomplished? What would you be able to do for the company from this new position that you are not already currently doing? Show your managers how promoting you is a good investment for the company as a whole, and they will be more likely to consider the proposition.

Timing is Everything

If you time this conversation right, you are more likely to get a positive response. While you are collecting information about your value within the company, also do a little research about how the company is doing as a whole. If business is booming and work is on an upswing, now would probably be a good time to talk with your manager about a promotion you’ve been working towards. However, if you find yourself pushing for a raise in the middle of layoffs, employers could take it as a sign that you are out of sync with the health of the company overall.

Choose Your Words Carefully

Avoid challenging or accusatory language. When you are asking for a promotion, you should phrase it such that a supervisor will strive to work with you to achieve this mutual goal of a higher position within the company. Use words like “we” and emphasize your place within the company as that of a team player. That doesn’t mean taking one for the team when it comes to promotions though. Rather, you need to phrase the request in such a way that shows your value to the company to be higher in the new position than where you are now.

Be Prepared for Rejection

Sometimes, a raise or promotion just isn’t possible at the current time. But don’t let that phase you. Instead, allow the rejection to become the groundwork for a future promotion. Ask for feedback or constructive criticism so that you can prepare yourself for the time when a promotion is possible. Show your managers that you really are a team player by not taking rejection personally. Resilience in the face of rejection is a highly promotable skill. Take the opportunity to prove to your supervisors that your dedication to the company is unflappable.